Labor Day
by OnceUponAShipper
Summary: Regina's in the final days of her pregnancy and anxiety is very real. Emma and Henry are oblivious to Regina's early signs of labor, as she hasn't told them! SwanQueen! **Please read author's note as you start!


**A/N - **If you've read my story, "Happy Anniversary," then the ending to this will feel familiar. It's almost verbatim, but not quite. This is for "EvilRegalTwinnies." They requested a story that was about the day Daniela was born. They asked, "What if Regina didn't tell Emma she was in labor? What if she freaked out when it came time to push?" So, again, the ending is near identical, but a few words have been changed around. I never said this couldn't have happened, so it was all open to be added :-) While "Happy Anniversary" mentioned her birthday, it didn't go as in-depth as this one does. If you haven't read it, go read it, haha! Some of this will make more sense if you do!

If you do have any requests, I'd love to hear them! But, please read my other stories to make sure it hasn't already been written :-) Also, if it lines up to the way these version of the characters interact- remember these are all in the same series- then I'd be happy to try and live up to your dreams :-) Enjoy! As always, reviews are welcome and appreciated!

* * *

Regina had entered the ninth month of her pregnancy with a tiresome feeling. No doubt, she still loved having a new life grow inside of her, but it was taking a physical toll. Regina was irritable, fatigued, anxious, and on top of that, she'd been feeling self-conscious. Emma said, countless times, that Regina had never looked more beautiful. But, of course, the hormonal mess that Regina was, she didn't believe her wife.

Henry watched in amazement as his brunette mother's stomach had stretched through the months. He offered help when he could in hopes to take some of the responsibility off of Emma's shoulders. Though she wouldn't admit it, Emma couldn't take care of everyone. Henry saw it and understood her pride. He told himself he would've done the same thing.

As Daniela's birthday neared, Emma and Regina's nesting instincts had taken over. Emma'd finished the nursery in Regina's seventh month, and Regina had an incessant need to keep the house clean- even more than before. Being on maternity leave didn't suit the mayor well, she needed to work.

Ever since the dream the two women'd had, where their future-selves came to them and they learned of Daniela, they couldn't get the image of the little girl out of their minds. Regina kept thinking of how their daughter would have Emma's eyes, but Regina's hair. Emma, on the hand, had only seen the baby picture, but she was already in love. All that was left to wait until March thirteenth.

* * *

It was March twelfth and, aside from the realization that Daniela was due the next day, it started like any other morning: Regina and Emma woke up, Emma took over breakfast duties downstairs, while Regina took a shower. Henry watched television in the living room absentmindedly.

Regina had just stepped onto the bath towel and wrapped her robe around her swollen abdomen when she felt the first pain; her hand dropped to her bulge. It was a sharp ache, predominately in her lower back. She thought she'd just bent to far, as her back had been sore throughout her third trimester. When the pain subsided, Regina straightened her spine slightly and let out a slow exhale. The mirrors had fogged over from the warm water. Regina rubbed away the moisture with the palm of her hand and looked herself over. If Emma sensed the slightest bit of discomfort, they'd be on the road to the hospital faster than Regina could cast a spell. She had to stay composed. Besides, whatever she'd felt had stopped. There was no need to worry.

After getting dressed, Regina slowly waddled down the stairs, one hand supported her side. Emma and Henry waited for her at the table, neither one of them had started to eat. They used their table manners and resisted the urges to stuff their faces.

Regina greeted the two with a smile, kissed Henry's head, and pecked Emma's cheek as the blonde ran a hand over her wife's belly. "It smells great," she said as she sat down. The kitchen had filled with the tantalizing aroma of cinnamon apple pancakes. A plate rested at Regina's spot, a whipped cream smile drawn onto her serving. "I see we still have a child's heart."

"Only the best for you," Emma joked along. "Sleep all right?" Once Regina sat down, Emma and Henry dug into their meals. She spoke in-between chews.

As she poured syrup across her pancakes, Regina concentrated on keeping a convincing poker face. "Other than the maternity pillow stuck between me knees, yes." That was the perfect answer; just the right blend of sarcasm and honesty.

Henry pushed bits and pieces of food around his plate, he helped to make sure each one got dipped in the puddle of syrup he'd created. "Did the baby sleep ok?" he asked, the youthful innocence still apparent in his deep voice.

Regina laughed softly and brushed her knuckle against Henry's cheek. "The baby slept just fine."

"Do you guys have a name picked out yet? We can't keep calling it the baby," Henry piped.

Regina and Emma glanced at each other knowingly. Yes, they had a name, but no, they couldn't tell Henry. He had to hear Snow suggest it. He had to see the peace offering it symbolized. "Not yet, Kid. But, she's not an 'it,' she's a 'she,'" Emma reminded her son. She did so love being right.

"Right, I forgot... Intui-whatever," Henry rolled his eyes. As if he'd moved on from the subject, he happily inhaled another forkful of flapjacks and a drop of sticky molasses hung from his chin. "So, what're we doing today? In? Out? Anything fun?"

"Henry, you do realize you're idea of fun and our idea of fun is quite different," Regina mused. _Keep talking_, she told herself. The more she said, the more she forgot about what had happened in the bathroom. "I'd be happy just to read a book with a cup of tea."

"And I'd be happy watching a movie," Emma added. In less than three minutes, she'd scraped her plate clean. "But, I'm thinking since your mom's so close to- you know, spewing forth new life," Henry cringed dramatically, "we should play it safe and stay home."

"Yeah, whatever, just please don't ever say that again," Henry begged, his eyes shut tight. "I think I'm done, by the way." He dropped his fork on the ceramic plate and it fell with a loud, "clink." He still had half of his pancakes to finish.

* * *

By midday, Regina had experienced several more contractions. She hadn't timed them, nor had she told Emma. It was their last day just the three of them, and she wanted to cling to it for a as long as possible.

The three of them had decided to watch a movie, and when Regina'd felt another pain during the film, she kept her lips shut. She'd managed to grip the pillow hard enough without Emma noticing. Her water hadn't broken, and from what she read, that meant she had more time. That's all she needed to know. Regina was going to stay quiet until the bitter end.

"I think I'll take a nap," Regina sighed. It was the perfect way to hide her contractions.

"You need help?" Emma asked.

Regina smiled politely, "Thank you, dear, but I'm quite capable of standing on my own." That was a lie. Regina managed to scoot herself to the edge of the couch, but she wasn't able to push herself off. Henry watched his mother struggle to gain balance, and noticed when Emma gave her a soft nudge. Finally, Regina stood tall and carried herself with pride. When she left the room, Henry let out a small laugh. "I can still hear you!" Regina announced from the stairwell.

* * *

While Regina "slept" upstairs, Emma and Henry sat at the table in the kitchen. Henry nursed an ice-cold glass of cider, while Emma sipped her coffee. They hadn't had many moments just the two of them. It'd been so hectic lately, but Emma had noticed their lack of bonding time.

"You ok, Kid?"

Henry looked as though he were struggling to stay awake; his eyes opened and closed gradually. When he spoke, his voice had a low breathiness to it. "Yeah. You?"

Emma rested her elbows on the table and kept her eyes on her son. "My lie detector just went off. You wanna tell me what's really going on?"

"I'm just tired," he fibbed.

"Henry," Emma said, her voice deepened slightly.

The two pairs of green eyes met halfway, but Emma was winning. Henry knew that he'd lost this round, and like Emma, he was a sore loser. "It's stupid," he shrugged.

"Not if it's bothering you."

"Ma, please? Can we just drop it?"

"Sure, when you tell me what's up. Henry," she softened her tone, "it's just me. You don't have to be embarrassed-"

"I'm not embarrassed," he asserted.

"Ok... Then you don't have to be afraid-"

"I'm not scared."

Emma inhaled deeply, her lungs filled with patience. "Just spit it out, Kid. I'm not gonna be mad or angry."

"You sound like Mom."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment."

Henry couldn't help but smile to himself at Emma's compliment. She was right: it was just them. He knew she wouldn't judge, but he still didn't want to say it. He was ashamed for even thinking it. The longer Emma stared at him, the louder the silence became. "I'm just... I'm just wondering how I'm gonna fit," he confessed. "When the baby gets here. It- she's part of both of you, you know? I'm kinda in the middle. I just don't wanna get lost in everything."

Emma began to understand what Henry was saying, and as a mother, she instantly wanted to make it better. But, she knew it wasn't something she could fix immediately; it was going to take time to adjust to a new baby. Emma moved into the seat next to Henry and made sure to keep eye contact with him. "That's not gonna happen, Kid. I'm not gonna let it."

"Ma, you guys are gonna be busy with the baby and stuff. It's bound to happen."

"No, it's not." Emma ran her hand through Henry's brown hair smoothly as comfort. "You're not going anywhere, and you're not going to get lost in anything, get it?"

"But what if I do?"

"Then we'll find you. You know what grandpa always says, 'Family always finds each other.'"

* * *

Meanwhile, the couple's bedroom, Regina laid on her side, the fluffily maternity pillow wedged between her knees. She'd lit some pumpkin spice candles in the room in an attempt to distract her from the pain. They weren't working. Another contraction hit and Regina released muffled groans into her pillow. It lasted for a minute and 12 seconds before Regina could relax again. She came to the conclusion she had to time them.

With one hand, Regina tried soothing the child inside of her and rubbed her stomach gingerly. "Shhh, it's ok. You're ok." Daniela settled down for a few more minutes before another wave of pain hit Regina like a ton of bricks.

When it ended, alarm settled in as she felt a wetness between her legs. She didn't have to look to know what it was. She'd lasted as long as she could, but she couldn't fight mother nature. With a deep breath, and the little strength she had, Regina bellowed through the house, "EMMA?!"She heard running up the steps and braced herself for Emma to bust through the door.

The blonde skidded into the room, an anxious expression on her face. "Yeah?" One look at Regina, and Emma had a feeling she knew what was happening.

Regina glanced up then back at the puddle beneath her, "My water just broke."

"It's time?"

"It's time," Regina nodded.

Without warning, Emma stuck her head out into the hallway. "HENRY!" she called down the stairwell.

"What?"

"Grab your mom's bags, we're going to the hospital!"

In seconds, the 17 year-old appeared by Emma's side. "I'm gonna be a big brother?"

"Yeah, Kid, you are. Now go! Get the bags and meet us at the car!" Emma sprinted to Regina's side and threw the brunette's arm around her neck. "You ready, babe?"

Regina let out a nervous laugh, "As I'll ever be."

Henry scrambled to find his mother's suitcase until he located it in the closet. The two women were already out of the house by the time he jogged down the stairs. Emma started the car the moment Henry jumped in zoomed out of the driveway. It was time to have a baby.

* * *

The Swan-Mills family arrived at the hospital just as Regina experienced another contraction. Now that Emma knew, Regina could let the groans out. "Just hold on, babe," Emma tried to pacify. Regina didn't hear any of it, she was doubled over in the passenger seat.

Henry ran out of the car and brought back a wheelchair. Both he and Emma helped Regina into it, Henry snatched up the bags, and Emma steered the chair. "Do that breathing thing!" Henry offered.

Their hurried journey came to a halt at the front desk and Emma was just barely holding on. "She's in labor!"

A male nurse peered up from his his paperwork and looked the family over. He saw Regina's grimace and Henry's bewilderment. He tried to speak calmly to keep Emma calm as well. "If you'll just fill these papers out-"

"Fuck that!" Emma swatted the clipboard out of his hand. "You know who this is, right?"

The nurse just stared. "She's the God damned mayor!"

"And the Queen," Henry added.

"Former Queen," Regina panted.

The nurse nodded, mostly in fear, and led them to an empty room. "I'll get a doctor," he said before running away.

* * *

"Regina," Dr. Harrison greeted casually. The brunette laid in a hospital gown, curled into the fetal position. The contractions had gotten worse since they'd arrived less than an hour ago. "I'm going to take a look at you and see how things are advancing. Can you move onto your back?"

Emma helped her wife roll over and stroked her forehead tenderly. "You're doing awesome, Gina." Regina rolled her eyes, but a small smile left traces on her lips.

"Hm." Dr. Harrison sat on the foot of the bed and put Regina's legs back down. "Regina, it looks as if you're further a long than one would expect. How long have you been having contractions?"

Regina looked nervously at Emma, but knew she'd have to fess up. "All day," she murmured.

"WHAT?!" Emma shouted, her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets.

"Well, it's a good thing you came in when you did. I'd say you don't have very long until it's time to push. You still have time for an epidural, if you'd like." Dr. Harrison scribbled on Regina's chart.

"No drugs," Regina affirmed.

Dr. Harrison had known her patient just long enough to take everything she said dead seriously. She rarely questioned Regina. "All right then. I'll be back later."

When the doctor left, Emma stepped away from Regina and folded her arms. "You've been in labor all day and you didn't say anything?"

A sheepish, and in pain, Regina didn't have the energy to argue, not right then. "I didn't want to ruin our last day."

"Ruin it? Regina, YOU'RE IN LABOR!"

As if to remind her, Regina cried out in pain and twisted back onto her side. Emma was beside her in an instant and massaged her back. "I'm sorry," Regina whimpered.

Annoyed with herself for her outburst, Emma walked around the bed and stood in Regina's line of view. "Gina, breath." She inhaled along with her wife and exhaled in unison. "I'm sorry. Don't listen to me, ok? Daniela's coming, Gina. She'll be here and we'll finally get to meet her." She planted a kiss on Regina's forehead and listened as the baby monitor recorded Daniela's heartbeat.

* * *

Six hours later, Daniela was attempting to make her grand entrance into the world. Regina gripped Emma's hand with all of her might as she breathed harder and harder. "You're doing so well, Gina! A few more pushes and we'll see daughter."

"Push!" Dr. Harrison ordered. Regina's face turned bright red as she bore down. "Good, good, Regina. Ok, one more. One more big push!"

Regina shook her head, the sweat gathered at the tip of her nose. "I can't," she whined.

"Yes, you can," Emma encouraged. "Come on, just one more."

"No, I can't!" Regina cried again. "We can't do this yet!"

"Gina, listen, I love you, we can do this! You can do this! One more push!" Emma didn't have time to negotiate with her hysterical wife. She pulled Regina forward and helped her push. The two of them worked together to welcome their daughter.

With a triumphant cry, Regina fell back onto the bed and tears streamed down her face. "Is she ok?" she wheezed. It was 12:02 a.m., March thirteenth.

Emma let go of Regina's hand for a moment and strode towards the nurses. There, in the tiny bed, was Daniela. "She's perfect," Emma announced. When Regina opened her eyes again, the blonde was standing in front of her with a small bundle in her arms. "Meet our daughter, Gina."

Regina smiled down at the small creature Emma had placed in her hold. The baby already had a patch of brown hair, but when she opened her eyes, Regina saw Emma in them. "Hey there, baby," she cooed. Her voice cracked as she tried to contain the tears.

The doctors and nurses buzzed around the room and cleaned everything up, but Emma and Regina hardly noticed them. When they left, Henry and his grandparents walked in. "Hey moms, is that her?"

Emma and Regina exchanged a happy smile. "Yeah, Kid, this is your new sister." Henry looked down at the baby and leaned in to give her a kiss.

"Do you have a name?" Snow asked anxiously.

Emma and Regina had agreed not to tell anyone about their dreams, not even Henry. So, when Snow asked about a name, they lied, just like they had with Henry. "No, Mom, we don't," Emma told Snow.

"Can I suggest Daniela?" Snow questioned innocently.

A small grin crept across Regina's face as she looked up at her mother-in-law. "That's a beautiful name." She marveled at her daughter and whispered, "Daniela" with content.

"Ok, picture time!" David announced, a camera already in his hand. "You four, get ready." Henry snuggled closer to Regina, and Emma hugged Regina's shoulders. "One, two, three!" A small, quick flash went off and left three out of the four family members temporary blind.

Henry put a finger in Daniela's hand and smiled when she held it. "She's strong!" he exclaimed.

"Just like her brother," Emma chided.

Regina nuzzled her face into Emma's neck and spoke softly with love, "Happy anniversary, Mrs. Swan-Mills." With her free hand, she ran her fingers over the scar on the other side of Emma's face- the scar she'd come to love.

Emma kissed Regina again and ignored the fact that the rest of her family was watching. "Happy anniversary, babe."


End file.
